Relative-humidity-controlling means



C A. CUTLER.

RELATIVE HUMIDITY CONTROLLING MEANS,

APPLlCATION man AUG/26,1918.

Patented May 25, 1920.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

I RELATIVE-HUMIIDITY-CONTROLLING MEANS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 25, 1920.

Application filedhAugust 26, 1918. Serial No. 251,408.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLIFFORD A. CUTLER, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of the city of Buffalo, county of Erie, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Relative-Humidity-Controlling Means, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

.My invention relates generally to means for controlling humidity and more particularlyto a means for controlling the air contained within a closed drying kiln or room.

It is well known that most humidity controlling means are arranged outside and separate from the room orinclosure in which the air is to be controlled. In these systems the air is drawn from the room, passed through humidifying sprays, heated by passing over coils and is then again forced into the room at the proper temperature and humidity. However, in some drying kilns or inclosures it is impossible to regulate the air in this manner and the humidity and temperature means must act upon the air contained within the kiln.

The general object of my invention has been, therefore, to provide a means which may be located within an inclosure, by which the temperature and humidity of the air contained within said inclosure may be automatically controlled.

Another object has been to provide a controlling member which shall be so constructed as to adapt itself well to the application of a moist wick.

The above objects and advantages have been accomplished by the device shown in the accompanying drawings, of which:

Figure 1 is an elevation of my complete device, showing it located within an inclosure, portions of whichare broken away.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, sectional view of the operating cylinder of one of the regulators.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, sectional view of the expansion chamber of one of the regulators.

Fig. 4c is an enlarged, sectional view of the regulator which acts as the wet bulb member, and it is taken on line 44 of Fi 1.

Tn the drawings: 5 and 6 represent, diagrammatically, the side walls and top of any closed drying kiln or room. 7 is a steam radiator which is connected with a steam pipe 8. This radiator is for the purpose of heating the air contained within the klln. A steam valve 9 is arranged between the steam supply pipe 8 and the radiator 7. This valve is controlled thermostatically, as will appear later. a

10 1s a spray manifold, which is also connected to the steam supply pipe 8. This manlfold is provided with a plurality of spray nozzles 11 and a pipe line connecting the manlfold with the steam supply pipe 8 is provided with a thermostatically controlled valve 12 and a manually operated valve 13. The spray manifold 10. is provided at its outer end with a drain pipe 14. This drain pipe conducts all the condensation, which occurs in the manifold, back to the steam supply pipe 8. The drain pipe is provided with a cook 15 and is connected with the pipe 8, preferably below the steam valve 9.

As hereinbefore stated, both the radiator steam valve 9 and the spray steam valve 12 are controlled thermostatically] Each of these valves comprises a body 20, having a valve seat 21. A valve 22 is .engageable with the seat 21 and is held in the position shown in Fig. 2, by means of a spring 23. This spring .is arranged about the valve stem 24 and bears against a head 25 provided at the outer end of a valve stem. .The valve stem is slidably arranged within a tubular housing 26, which is connected by means of a connector 27 to the operating cylinder 28. The thermostatic means in my device is preferably of the type where oil isused as an expansive medium. The operating cylinder 28, therefore, is sealed and is provided with an expanding accordion member 29. This accordion member is properly secured and sealed at the end which contacts with the connecter 27 and is provided with a head '30 at its free end. An operating rod 31 passes through the connector 27 and has one end bearing against the head 25 of the valve stem 24. The other end extends a considerable distance into the accordion member 29 where it is provided witha reduced peripheral portion 32. A spring 33 has one end arranged over the peripheral portion 32 and its other end disposed within a recess 34: formed in the head 30. The spring 23 acts to keep the valve 22 normally off its seat, and the spring 33 provides a flexible connection between the accordion member 29 and the valve 22, so that if the pressure of the fluid forces the head 30 a distance greater I than that which is necessary to close the valve 22, no damage will be done to the in strument.

The expansion chamber 35 (shown enlarged in Fig. comprises a cylindrical outer casing 36, having heads 87 and 38 secured thereto and hermetically sealed except as hereafter described. Passing through the head 38 is an adjusting rod 39 which has a head 40 at its inner end. 41 is an accordion adjusting member, which is firmly secured at one end to an extension on the head 38 and at the other end to the hea d 40, whereby it is effectively sealed so as to prevent the oil contained within the expansion chamber from leaking into it. iotatably connected with the outer end of the adjusting rod 39 is an adjusting block 42. An adjusting screw 43 bears against the adjusting block 42, whereby the adjusting member 41 maybe expanded or allowed to contract so as to increase or decrease the pressure of the oil contained within the regulator. A tube 44 connects each operating cylinder 28 with one of the expansion chambers 35, so that the pressure of the oil, as affected by the temperature of the expansion cylinder, will operate the valves 22.

The operating cylinders for the valves 9 and 12 are identical; and the expansion chamber for each of these valves is identical, except'that the cylinder which controls the spray valve 12 is provided with a wick 45 which is wrapped about the cylinder and has its ends extending upwardly and disposed within a water trough 46. This trough is supported above the expansion chamber by suitable standards 47 and is closed, except for the slot 48 in its front side. The lower edge 49 at this side of the trough is bent downwardly, preferably in a curved direction, thereby assisting the flow of the water through the wick 45, and forming a support for the wick.

I have found by experience that capillary attraction is almost sufficient to carry mois-' ture upwardly for any distance in a heated atmosphere; but I have discovered that the arrangement of parts herein shown and described, under normal working conditions, will positively keep the wick of the wet bulb member properly moistened.

It will be understood, therefore, that the water within the trough 46 will be conducted up to and around the curved edge 49 of the trough and then downwardly to the part of the wick wrapped about the expansion cylinder by capillary attraction; and that this expansion chamber will be subjected to the depressed temperature re sulting from the evaporation of the moisture from the wick.

From the foregoing description it will be clear that the expansion chamber having the wick 45 will control the valve 12 and regulate the admission of steam to the interior of the kiln, while the expansion chamber without the wick will regulate the valve 9 inld control the amount of heat within the Before my device is put into operation, it will be obvious that the expansion chamber which controls the steam valve 9 will be cold and the valve 9, therefore, open; and when the device is put into operation, the valve 13 is preferably closed while steam is admitted to the radiator 7. As the temperature is raised within the kiln, the valve 13 s then opened. If the air within the kiln 13 dry, the temperature of the expansion chamber having the wick will be depressed, owing to the rapid evaporation of moisture from the wick, and the valve 12 controlled by this chamber will, therefore, be opened. This will allow steam to be forced through the steam jets 11 and will serve to humidifythe air. As the air reaches its predetermined humidity, the temperature of the expansion chamber having the wick will be raised and the fluid contained therein will expand and close the valve 12. It will be understood that the steam valve 9 will also i be automatically controlled by the operating cylinder connected with it.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a drying kiln, relative humidity controlling means comprising heating means, a source of moisture supply, a temperature controlling valve for regulating the temperature of the air in the kiln, a humidity controlling valve for regulating the humidity of the air in the kiln, an expansion chamber, containing fluid, for each of the valves, means connected with the expansion chambers for controlling the valves by fluid pressure, and a moist Wick surrounding the expansion chamber of the humidity controlling valve.

2. In a drying kiln, relative humidity controlling means comprising heating means, a

source of moisture supply, a temperature controlling valve for regulating the temperature of the air in the kiln, a humidity controlling valve for-controlling the humidity 'of the air in the kiln, an expansion chamber, containing fluid, for each of the valves, means connected with the expansion chambers for controlling the valves by fluid pres sure, a moist wick surrounding the expansion chamber of the humidity controlling valve, and a suitable source of moisture for the wick.

3. In a drying kiln, relative humidity controlling means comprising heating means, a source of moisture supply, a temperature controlling valve for regulating the temperature of the air in the kiln, a humidity controlling valve for regulating the humidity of the air in the kiln, an expansion chamber,

containing fluid, for each of the valves, means connected with the expansion chambers for controlling the valves by fluid pressure, a 'uter trough arranged above the expansion chamber for the humidity controlling valve, and a wick Wrapped about the chamber and having its ends extending upwardly and disposed within the trough.

4. In a drying kiln, relative humidity controlling means comprising heating means, a source of moisture supply, a temperature controlling valve for regulating the temperature of the air in the kiln, a humidity controlling valve for regulating the humidity of the air in the kiln, an expansion chamber, containing fluid, for each of the valves, mezms connected with the expansion chambers for controlling the valves by fluid pressure, a water trough arranged above the expansion chamber for the humidity controlling valve and provided with a curved lip, and a wick wrapped about the chamber and having its ends extending upwardly around the curved lip and disposed within the trough.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name.

CLIFFORD A. CUTLER. 

